The Red Sea

The Straits of Tiran in the Gulf of Aqaba - Sharm el Shiekh, Red Sea

Going 2 hours north on a boat from Naama bay you will find another great dive location. Here there is a large uninhabited island that is full of land mines and out of bounds called Tiran. Between Tiran and the Sinai coast are 4 very large reefs coming up from around 300 meters to the surface. All shipping from the South going to and from Eilat in Israel and Aqaba in Jordan must come through these relatively narrow waters. The ships come very close to the reefs and on very rare occasions have hit the reefs.

The Loullia ship wreck on Gordon reef, 1998
The Loullia ship wreck (ran aground 29th September 1981) on Gordon reef, 1998

The 4 reefs at The Straits of Tiran are:

Gordan reef
Thomas reef
Woodhouse reef
Jackson Reef.

These are all dive sites. Because of the narrow deep waters of this area there is a lot of water movement. This water carries nutrients that feed the corals, creating an abundance of life from the smallest corals to the big fish.

Long nose Hawk fish often found in Fan corals in Tiran
Long nose Hawk fish often found in Fan corals in Tiran. Photo C.McFarlane.

You can often see Sharks here but for me the Turtles are the big attraction.

Male Hawksbill Turtle at Jackson reef 1998
Male Hawksbill Turtle (Eremochelys imbricata) at Jackson reef 1998. Photo C. McFarlane

Here at the Straits of Tiran there are resident Turtles. They Spend there days hanging out at one of the reefs and are easy to watch as long as you do not chase, surround or most importantly hold on to the Turtle! To learn more about Turtles go to my Turtle section. On the boat trip back from Tiran if you are lucky you may see Dolphins riding the bow waves!

Dolphins in the Straits of Tiran
Dolphins in the Straits of Tiran. Photo Trevor Wiltshire

Note
Again Tiran is a place of strong currents and deep waters. Many dives are done as drifts. This is not a place for the new or inexperienced diver.

Local dive sites
All dive sites between Ras Mohammed and the Straits of Tiran are classed as local dive sites by the dive centres. There are lots of sites. Some have sustained some damage due to the development of the coast and the sheer number of divers. But do not let that put you off. There are some great local dives and all of them have much to offer the diver.

Ras Mohammed
Ras Umm Sid
Ras Katty

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